The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-05-05

So they journeyed, past cvpreas
swamrs, where the hoary trees ha1
waded out in the water bevond tho
shore. There they stood. pnarled and
knotty, clothed in nantes Of ora u
moss that swayed mournfully in the
WIND. Sometimes there was a erouD
OF trees, bright, wildly green.
Then dash OF glowing scarlet, where
6 "black jack" oak stood in it's an.
tumnal foliage. "
mine, '>
1.-The darling OF the springtime."
In one place they saw It GOVERN, a.
grove OF low-lying scrub, making It a
mass OF dewy, perfumed bells, that
loaded the whole air with the rich, de-.
i'c'ous odor, over which the wild bees
lowered,
'Droning lazily on heavy wing"
Golden and purple butterflies flutter.
ca above it, while, most beautiful of
all, ruby-throated humm:ng bird
dashed in and out among the bloom
III. fragrance, like living level.
1t was nearly twilight when the boat
stopped at "Ryless Ferry" They
ran close in to the shore, under a VEN
cradle cypress, a veritable King Lear
among trees. He dropped his messy
locks over the guards so close that
they came against the cabin windows.
a solemn old owl sat on 4 blasted
limb near the top, waiting for his love,
the night. The negro deck-hands went
on shore and built pine-wood fire
and grouped themselves around it.
W hat a hush came with the night;
a dark, mysterious silence brood.
ing along the shores! 1t was as
though some d1mb spirit was waiting
Tor the spell Of silence to be broken.
Then what q cry would rise-a cry of
regret, cry OF dispair, for something
that could never be. The songs Of
the negroes rose with that wild, wall
ing, mournful cadence peculiar to the
melodies Of the races that have been
long InNbondage, as a protest that has
gone up to high heaven through all
the ages.
when the gineral roll is Called
quavers an old gray headed negro,
"I'l be dar, I'll be dar,''
chant the Others in kind of refrain.
lie flames shoot up, making eerie
shadows among the ghosts OF cypress
trees standing in their shrouds. 1t is
all so wierd. so unreal, so uncannv,
THAI Mr.. Benson feels his nerves
shaken. He goes to his cabin and to
bed: How long he had been asleep
lie did not know. He was awakened
oy nearing woman scream. A late
moon had risen, and was sending q
stream or light through the window.
He heard voices, and then footsteps.
Dressing hastily, he went out on the
guards. The moon was just above
the horizon, the daylight was not far
| Oft. The fire the deck hands had built
on shore had gone out, save q few
smoulderins embers. The owl was
fitted to u tree further up the bank,
where his "tewhitt, to-whoo! whoo!
| Whoo' was echoed by another in the
distance. On the bank was a group
made up OF several men and two
women. One OF the latter was
struggling with the men and seemed
! to be trying to throw herself into the
| water. The other was talking to her
III u soft, drawing voice. 1t took
him but a second to reach the spot.
Some one stirred the fire and threw
on some branches. 1t bazed up in q
column OF flame. The women were
brought to the fire and seated on the
logs. The deck hands led her who hade
caused the excitement.
der now! Sit down an have yo'
SCI" said one OF the negroes, pushing
her into a sitting. "What yo' mean,
carryin' on an rarin' up, like yo' done
let yo' senses? Hit Amt any wav TO-
any CONAN to do, black or white.''
The woman's slat sun bonnet had
fallen off her head, the long tangled
black hair fell in snaky locks about
her neck. Her face was so sallow as
to be almost orange color. Her eyes
We're very black, and sunk deep into
her head. About the muscles OF the
mouth was the weak, wavering, uncer-
tain look that confirmed "snuff dip.
pers' always have.
! The other woman had taken of her
bonnet and laid it in her lap. Her
light HAIR was SO grey that it showed
III streaks even in the fire light. She
had faded blue eyes, rather pleasant
face. with a weak chin and vague I'M
certain look. Both women wore faded
lavender calico dresses, and strings of
blue glass beads about their lank, col
larless necks. The other men walked
off, with not very subdued remarks
concerning the uselessness of "poor
white trash"
| The cook came up grumbling a few
minutes later, and handed the wom-
an who had tried to drown
herself a plug of tobacco. She fell to
chewing and mumbling it Ike hungry
dog with bone. Her companion
watched her an instant, then turning
to Benson asked III the soft, sweet
voice, common to southern women,
Amt yo' q preacher mani"
DO you mean a minister" asked he
elf you do: let me say, madam, that
l am not"
She sighed again, and held her feet
toward the fire to warm them. "You
look like scholard, any way" she
resumed. IAN we all is ignorant. We
never learned anything out'n books"
"Jim could read she added, with
evident pride. "He could read print
like anything I've seed him read
Out'n the New Testament, like he was
a preacher; hardly had to skip any OF
the long words. 1t didn't help him
amy, though, eff he was scholard,"
she said with a sigh.
"Who is Jim?" asked Mr.. Benson.
"Im coming to that terrectly. /
reckon you'll be obliged to let me tell
my story like wane to. Pm mighty
sorry you'ns isn't a preacher, bekase
I'm nightly tore up in my mind
about Mary I.izzy over thar" at the
same time indicating the woman with
the tobacco.
What about her?" asked Benson.
"She's plum tierstracted to drown
herself. Pears like I'll fly out my
mind when think she mough do it
when wasn't watching.
I'm gineraIly watthin', but if l was
asleep now an she'd do it an I didn't
know it"
The woman left her sentence unfin-
lshed save by u long-drawn sigh.
"You could not be blamed" said he.
"Thet there amt the pint. That's